


Surprises

by stopwatch_plz (immiscibility)



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-18
Updated: 2012-06-18
Packaged: 2017-11-08 01:29:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/437637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/immiscibility/pseuds/stopwatch_plz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the team take Reid out for birthday drinks he gets more of a surprise than he initially thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Surprises

**Author's Note:**

> A/N - Set fairly early in the series

Spencer Reid now knew how many drinks it took to get him really drunk - four beers, three shots of Tequila and a glass of something that looked like radioactive waste that Garcia had bought for him (which had come with a little paper umbrella that she was now wearing stuck in her hair). Unfortunately, so did the rest of the team.

“Man, you need to practice more!” Morgan said with a grin as he slapped the BAU’s resident geek on the shoulder. Reid winced slightly and frowned as he looked up.

“Did you know that sustained binge drinking is harmful to brain cells and memory in particular?” 

Morgan grinned even wider. “Then it’ll just bring you down to our level then!” He looked at his watch. “You’re doing good though – almost the last to leave your own party.”

Reid looked up at that and glanced round to find it was true. The only person left in the bar, apart from him and Morgan, was Garcia, who’d made her excuses a minute earlier to go “freshen up,” as she put it.

“Damn,” Morgan swore as he looked at his watch. “Gotta run. Make sure the lady gets home ok! Although… maybe it should be the other way around,” he added as he watched Reid stare off into the distance, a glazed look on his face.

“What? Oh, no. I’m fine – really,” he said in response to a raised eyebrow. “I seem to metabolize alcohol fairly quickly, which means the effects of alcohol don’t last as long as-”

The other man threw up his hands in mock surrender. “Ok, I know when I’m beat. See you tomorrow,” and with a wave, Morgan gave one last glance towards the ladies room then left.

Reid sat at the table, slowly running a finger around the rim of the glass as he thought. It still felt strange socializing with the team – was still strange that he had a team to socialize with. It wasn’t as it he’d had much time to cultivate long-term personal relationships while he was studying, and even less since he’d joined the BAU. Not that he was complaining – he felt more accepted in the department than he’d felt anywhere else in his life. _Amongst the rest of the freaks_ , he thought to himself with an uncharacteristic tinge of malice. His alcohol-saturated thoughts were threatening to take a darker tone when he heard footsteps behind him. 

“They left you alone?” Garcia’s voice had more than a hint of disapproval. “Leaving the birthday boy on his own.” She tsked reprovingly. “Well then, honey – looks like it’s just you and me now. Suppose I better get you going.” She nodded towards the door.

Reid went to stand up and suddenly realised it was going to be a bit more difficult than he thought. He felt his legs go from underneath him as his brain decided to cut all communication with them, and he stumbled. Reaching out, he managed to grab Garcia’s arm that she’d put out for him just in time as soon as she’d seen him stumble.

“Uhh, thanks.” He felt the heat rise in his cheeks as he blushed furiously and tried to hide his embarrassment.

“No thanks necessary. Just helping a friend.” She smiled brightly, and Reid suddenly thought how pretty she looked when she did, then he blinked in surprise at the thought which had come out of nowhere. He pulled back slightly, feeling a little unsettled. Unexpected thoughts were something he was always nervous of.

“You ok, honey?” Garcia asked, concerned. She had the feeling Reid wasn’t really used to drinking all that much and lord only knew what he’d get up to if he was left by himself. She made a mental note to tell off the boys in the team when she next saw them-as much as the kid had the smarts, he didn’t really have much of the self-preservation about him. Of course, that was why she was looking after him tonight, she told herself.

“’m fine,” Reid mumbled, and he could feel his face was still flushed. It was so typical that his body had to choose now to rebel against him, of all times. “I think I’m a bit drunk,” he said eventually.

Garcia bit back a smile. “You think? Come on, you’re coming with me,” she said as she got them both upright and heading towards the door. “No way I’m gonna let you go home by yourself in this state – I’d never forgive myself! You can stay on my couch tonight. No arguments!” she declared with an outstretched finger, as she saw Reid coming back with a reply.

Truth be told, Reid felt a little relieved at the decision being made without him. He was currently having enough trouble getting his feet to move in a forward motion and was feeling a little out of his comfort zone. He didn’t like the feeling of not being in complete control – and whenever he felt awkward, his brain seemed to work at double-time to try and make up for it.

“Did you know that there are over 1,700 beer breweries in the United States which produce 196 million barrels of beer in an average year?” he said, as he tried to negotiate his way up a particularly tricky kerb.

“I did not know that sweetheart, but I do now,” she said with a small laugh as she hailed a passing cab. The car pulled up beside them and, after exchanging a few words with the driver, Garcia manhandled both herself and her inebriated companion into the back seat.

…

Thankfully it was a short ride – ten minutes later they found themselves navigating the steps up to Garcia’s apartment.

“That was a little more difficult than usual,” she said with slight amusement as she locked the door behind them. 

“Sorry,” Reid mumbled, feeling self-conscious. He didn’t like to be a burden on anyone, didn’t want anyone to go out of his way for him, and tonight seemed to have been full of people doing exactly that.

“Hey, don’t you go apologising over anything, you hear me?” Reid looked up, surprised at how angry Garcia sounded. “What are friends for if they can’t look out for each other?”

“Friends…” he started, and then trailed off, his brain suddenly distracted by some other thought as his gaze went slightly glazed. Garcia rolled her eyes and herded him into her front room, sitting him down on the couch. It was a particularly ancient piece of furniture, but she loved it - it was unique, just like her. She put herself down next to Reid, who was leaning back, head resting against the back of the sofa, eyes half open and she looked at him.

“You’re too cute when you’re drunk - I gotta take you out more often,” Garcia stated as she bent down to take her shoes off. Damn, but it hurt when the blood rushed back to her toes! She sighed with relief as she wiggled her extremities.

“No you don’t,” Reid replied as he opened his eyes as he looked at her with a wry smile. “Usually I just quote psychology and recite Pi.”

“For how long?” Garcia asked, amused - as far as she knew, Pi was an almost limitless number. When she didn’t receive a reply, she looked up and saw a distant look on Reid’s face. I bet he’s up to the twentieth digit by now, she thought with amusement as she leant over to get his attention. She didn’t know what she’d meant to do – maybe touch his arm, or leg – but what she actually found herself doing was leaning over Reid and kissing him.

It wasn’t anything risqué, but it was a tie as to who was more surprised. Garcia jumped back, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, and Reid was staring at her, his eyes wide.

“Oh my god!” she exclaimed as her hands went up to her mouth. “I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

“Did you know the pupils dilate when a person experiences a deep connection with something?” Reid suddenly blurted out. Garcia stopped what she was thinking and looked down at him and said quietly.

“Are my pupils dilated?” 

Reid nodded back.

“Damn - what am I doing? You’re drunk and I’m taking advantage of you!” She was getting faintly hysterical, thinking of what the rest of the team would say if they found out, and she was just getting to the point where Hotch fired her for it when she felt fingers close around her wrist. She looked down to see Reid staring up at her, eyes bright and unblinking. 

“No, no. no.” She shook her finger at him like a schoolteacher. “You’re under the influence, and I’m being reprehensible.” She pulled back, and all but stalked across the room to a cupboard and opened the door, busying herself with finding blankets and pillows. After a few moments she made her way back across the room to find Reid sitting on the couch, hands in his lap looking at her with a mixture of confusion and faint amusement. 

“Oh, sugar, don’t look like that! I’m doing this for your sake, not mine – the team would haul my ass out if I hurt you!” she said with a small smile.

He frowned up at her. “I’m not quite as inexperienced as you all seem to think I am,” Reid said with a slight petulant air. Was it so hard to believe that some people had found him attractive over the years? While he wasn’t exactly the outgoing type like Morgan, he’d had a few, close relationships – most of them brief, admittedly, but it had been his own choice. He’d never found anyone that really got him. Yet.

“Really?” Garcia said with surprise at his pronouncement, and then clamped her hands over her mouth. “Sorry!” she apologised through her fingers. Reid gave a short laugh in sympathy – he knew what it was like for his mouth to engage before his brain had had a chance to weigh in first.

Garcia smiled with relief then bent down and took his head in her hands and gave him another kiss, this time a very chaste one on his forehead. “Tell you what-you sleep on this and let me know what you think in the morning.” 

“Did you know that ducks at risk of attack by predators are able to balance the need for sleep and survival, keeping one half of the brain awake while the other slips into sleep mode?” 

Garcia looked at him. “I promise you don’t need to be worried about that.”

Reid gave a half-smile in return and turned away to gather up the bedding beside him, settling the covers around him. Garcia watched him for a moment then sighed and made her way into her own room. 

As she changed into her nightclothes (pyjamas; pink polka dots, cute yet classy) she mentally kicked herself – what the hell had she been thinking, taking advantage of Reid like that? The poor kid had been fall-down drunk and there she was forcing herself on him like one of the unsubs he spent his day tracking down.

“Penelope Garcia, you are a terrible woman!” she declared as she got into bed and turned the light out.

…

Garcia woke the next morning and instantly realised there was something wrong. After a moment she realised what it was - the front of her body was cold, but her back was warm. With a start she realised there was something behind her, and twisted round to look. Two eyes stared back at her.

“Holy…” she started then squinted. “Reid? What are you doing here?”

He gave a wry smile and shrugged his shoulder. “I was cold. It’s easier to warm up using someone else’s body heat.” His voice was calm but Garcia swore she saw a hint of amusement in his eyes.

“Fine,” she sighed theatrically, “but now you’ve stolen all of my heat from this side, how about we swap?” When he looked at her in confusion, she turned over so they were facing each other, and then pushed him gently. She saw it register in his face and, with that same half-smile on his face, turned over and lay there as Garcia curled up behind him and wrapped her arm around him, her fingers clasping the material of his shirt. She felt him tense underneath her then relax, slowly, and she smiled. “They better not kick me out, Spencer Reid,” she said quietly, as she rested her face against his hair.

He decided he liked the sound of her saying his name.


End file.
